Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Physical Appearance
•Genitalia are commonly used at birth, but not without some occasional
errors.
Hermaphrodite
Physical abnormality
The Second Biological Characteristic
Hormones
•Hormones can also be used, but hormone levels vary greatly between
members of the same sex.
•Hormone levels are also influenced by physical activity.
•Males and females have the same hormones.
Estrogen
Testosterone
The Third Biological Characteristic
Chromosomes
Sex Category – is the assigning of a person (or self) to either male or female
sex.
•Physique?
•Skin complexion?
•Voice?
•The social conceptions about personality traits and behavior appropriate for
males and females.
Gender Identity
The mixture of masculine and feminine traits that are unique to each
person.
In fact most sociologists believe that gender differences are greater within
the same sex than between the opposite sexes.
Male Female
•Strength
•Nurturer
•Provider
•Protector
•Emotional
•Leader
•Men are more often the initiators of sexual activity than women, even
though the positive response rates are equal.
•Men are more permissive about casual sex than women.
•Men begin sexual activity at an earlier age than women.
•There is more stigma for a women than a man to be sexually promiscuous.
What are the physiological differences between male and female humans?
A few of the commonly held beliefs are:
1. Intelligence
2. Body Fat
3. Hormones and Chromosomes
4. Pelvic Bone?
5. Muscle Mass
6. Will a female ever be able to run, jump, or lift equal to the male?
•HISTORY
The language defines the status position of females and feminine.
We often denote that a status typically held by a man with the defining
title of LADY surgeon, truck driver, police officer (chick-cop).
The language depreciates things that are female or feminine.
•The use of -ess or -etts to end the titles of gender neutral status
positions is used to devalue the position because a female occupies the
status.
•For example, actor/actress, waiter/waitress, or the names of teams for
sports bobcats/lady bobcats.
•There are over 200 swear slang words that refer to female anatomy,
but only 20 referring to male anatomy.
•What is the worst thing one man can call another?
•What is the worst thing a woman can call another?